In MOS power devices, such as a lateral double-diffusion metal-oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) device, there is generally a tradeoff between three factors: breakdown voltage (BVdss), on-state resistance (Rdson), and safe operating area (SOA), wherein BVdss and Rdson have a conflicting relationship (e.g., an increase in BVdss results in a higher Rdson), BVdss and SOA aid each other (e.g., an increase in BVdss results in a larger SOA), and Rdson and SOA may have a conflicting or aiding relationship. The BVdss may be increased by spacing the drain region from the gate, thus forming a drift region. Such a drift region, however, increases the Rdson, which in conventional devices is proportional to the pitch between the drain and the source. Therefore, in conventional devices raising the BVdss in a device design will increase the Rdson.
Therefore what is needed is a LDMOS device that has a combination of a higher BVdss, lower Rdson, and higher SOA then conventional devices.